James Milner: I had to be selfish to leave Manchester City and join Liverpool

But he reckons the Reds will now benefit from his personal desire to be a midfield maestro with the best football of his career.

Milner, 29, will be deployed as a central midfielder for Brendan Rodgers’ side after five years of being used in various roles – including warming the bench – at The Etihad.

The former Aston Villa man felt he had to move to Anfield to prove a point that he can cut it as a top-class midfielder rather than be almost guaranteed medals and more money at City.

Milner believes he will be even better than the 2009-10 season, when he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award at Villa and enticed City to spend £26m on him.

The England ace said: “I’d like to think you will see the best of me now I am in the central role.

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MIDFIELD MAESTRO: Milner reckons he will play the best football of his career at Liverpool

“I think the move to come to Liverpool and play where I want to play was more of a selfish move and hopefully I can contribute to success at Liverpool”

James Milner

“This move was a selfish move for me.

“It wasn’t a big problem when I was at City and playing in different positions – the team will always come first and that’s definitely the way I believe it should be.

“But I think the move to come to Liverpool and play where I want to play was more of a selfish move and hopefully I can contribute to success at Liverpool.”

Milner was offered a deal worth £165,000-a-week to stay at City this summer after his contract ran out at the end of the season.

But he opted to take around £65,000 less a week to become one of Rodgers’ seven summer signings.

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SELFISH: Milner says he is more likely to get first-team football at Liverpool

“This is a chance for me to prove something,” he said.

“I want to look back at my career and feel I got everything out of it and was the best player I could be and won as much as I possibly could.

“I don’t want to be sat at the end of my career thinking I could have done more, or left something out there.

“I believe I can achieve things here where I could maybe have found myself on the bench at City. That doesn’t mean I am guaranteed to play in every game at Liverpool but I feel I have a better chance of playing every week if I perform.

“I think there were times at City when I had good games and then because of rotation, I was out again.

“But I feel it is my hands now, although by no means do I think I am going to play every game.

“I know I have to get out there and do my stuff and hopefully help Liverpool be very successful.”

While the move to Liverpool was a selfish one for Milner to show his worth as an individual, he does not believe he has thrown the chance away of more trophies and Champions League action.

The England midfielder won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup during his five-year stay at City.

His second title in blue came in 2014 when Manuel Pellegrini and his men just edged Liverpool to the top spot.

But that close shave proves to Milner the Reds can cut it as they look to improve on last season’s sixth-place finish and get back in the Champions League.

He said: “Two years ago Liverpool nearly won the title so the top four is not that closed.

“It’s hard for every team in the Premier League – it is so hard to win just one game. It is tough and to go on and win the Premier League is so much harder.

“But everything is here for us to be successful – the ground the fans, the boss, the players – and Liverpool are used to being successful.

“Coming in and seeing the quality we have here, everything is in place for us to kick on.”

* The SUBWAY® brand is the official training partner of Liverpool Football Club. For information on SUBWAY® initiatives supporting healthier and active lifestyles visit www.subway.com.

The SUBWAY® brand is the official training partner of Liverpool Football Club. For information on SUBWAY® initiatives supporting healthier and active lifestyles visit www.subway.com